A private college lecturer from Mangaluru has allegedly been cheated of over ₹26 lakh after being lured into an investment scheme promising to double money within a month, police said.

The complainant has been identified as Subrahmanya Vijay R. (38), a lecturer at a private college in Mangaluru.

According to the complaint, the accused Santosh Mahendra (43), a resident of Mumbai, was introduced to the complainant through one Raghavendra of Barkur.

In June 2022, Subrahmanya Vijay met the accused along with Raghavendra at Kandlur in Kavadadi, where the accused allegedly persuaded him to invest in a company named “Rich Life Care”, claiming assured high returns. Believing the claims, the complainant initially paid ₹2.96 lakh.

The accused reportedly promised that investments exceeding ₹30 lakh would be rewarded with a car. Subsequently, the complainant transferred ₹26.50 lakh from his bank account to the accused’s account.

When the complainant later demanded a return of the invested amount, the accused allegedly repaid only ₹2 lakh. Further attempts to contact the accused resulted in verbal abuse and death threats, the complaint stated.

Based on the complaint, a case has been registered at the Kundapura Rural Police Station, and further investigation is underway.